LOUGHBOROUGH Carillon made a good start to the new year with a well earned point against Leicester Mixed as they bid to maintain their top flight status.

Carillon are not half way through their league season yet but are already staring down the barrels of relegation. Carillon have been in the top flight for the last 23 seasons and not being there next season is something that skipper Adrian Dewick can not comprehend.

“Since finishing fourth last season we have lost eighth senior players so we knew it was going to be tough” he said. “However the players that we have got are more than good enough for this division and we will battle for every point between now and the end of the season. Being relegated is not an option”.

Carillon’s destiny will ultimately be decided in their next five games as they come up against the three teams directly above them in the league.

This week’s game against Forest Wanderers will be the first of three massive six pointers for the Loughborough side and nothing but victory will keep them on course to survive the harshest of seasons.

The point against Mixed was definitely a point won and not three points lost. Due to the abandonment of the men’s programme Leicester were able to travel to East Leake with a very strong squad. And this strength showed as Leicester had the better of the first half, although clear chances were rare.

The second half was more even as Carillon became more confident in their play and ability. With more of the game focused in the Leicester half some decent half chances were being created but Carillon’s luck again deserted them and they failed to trouble the scorers.

At the other end of the pitch Carillon keeper Greg Godwin was at his best with some fine saves to ensure that Loughborough walked away with their first clean sheet of the season, giving them a point towards safety and more importantly hope for the rest of the season.